The description relates, in general, to article dispenser apparatus and, more particularly, article dispensing apparatus for dispensing a correct number of articles for a work operation.
Article dispensing apparatus are known for dispensing articles one at a time or in bulk into a container for shipment to a use site. Large size, vibrating feed dispensers are known for dispensing articles, individually, into a large container.
Such article dispensing apparatus weigh the large container to determine, by weight, the number of articles which have been dispensed into the container. However, such vibrating feed article dispensing apparatus are large, making them unsuitable for use in a manufacturing assembly line and, in particular, an automotive vehicle assembly line where space adjacent to the assembly line is limited.
In vehicle assembly operations, an operator in a work station may be required to install one or more fasteners, such as bolts, nuts, screws, clips, etc. on a vehicle body currently located in a work station. The worker will have a large container of such fasteners located adjacent to the workstation. For each work operation, the worker will remove the correct number of fasteners from the container located adjacent to the assembly line; move to the vehicle body, and then install the fasteners in the vehicle body. However, frequently the worker picks up fewer or more than the correct number of fasteners required for the particular work operation. It is also common for the worker to occasionally drop one or more fasteners as he moves from the location of the fastener container to the vehicle body as well as while installing the fasteners one at a time onto the vehicle body.
If the worker initially picks up fewer than the required number of fasteners or drops one or more fasteners during the work operation, he must return to the article container and pick up the required number of fasteners from the container. Even though the worker only walks a few feet between the vehicle body and the article container, it takes time which reduces the efficiency of the vehicle assembly operation as well as causing the worker to expend additional energy to complete the work operation leading to fatigue.
Further, each time the worker inserts his fingers into the article container to pick up the required number of articles, his fingers jam into the articles which leads to long term desensitizing of the worker's fingers. Each time the worker picks up an original article quantity less than that required for the work operation, the worker must reinsert his fingers into the article container again, thereby increasing the effects of long term desensitizing of the worker's fingers.
It would be desirable to provide an article dispensing apparatus for use in manufacturing operations which is portable, small, and which is capable of dispensing only the required number of articles for a particular work operation.